So Angy

It's unfortunate because it ends up with people keeping their horses fatter than they should be just to avoid people reporting the poor thin horses.

No issue with people reporting issues but they either need to know what they are seeing eg a clearly lami pony in a huge meadow of lush ryegrass or it to be clearly suffering/in a sea of ragwort/with no access to any food over an extended period.

And ideally make some attempt to contact you.

Maybe you could see how fat their kids are and report them to social services.....see how they like it! :-D
 
Extremely unprofessional of the RSPCA to be discussing the situation with anyone!:eek:

The SSPCA were snooping around up here the other day. I am 100% sure I have absolutely no issues whatsoever but my neighbour is out wintering cows and I reckon it will be them. Still made me feel horrible tho!
 
MrsMozart said:
We've just been told that people have been driving past the horses' field and complaining that 'the grey is muddy' (this the horse that could get muddy in the Sahara Desert and is disgusting five minutes after being brushed!) and the 'foal' was shivering and they weren't rugged when it was raining and that they were huddled together! Even some RSPCA bloke has been taking pictures! Our hay man told him that he delivers four times a week and that they have hard feed, plus he knows how we care for them as we'd been on his yard for a while but left as we needed the turnout.This is their winter trash field, which we will have rolled, harrowed and reseeded in the spring.

They have hard standing (we've had 40 tonnes of bark so they had hard standing for them to eat the hay), shelters (natural and other), ad lib hay 24/7, running water, and hard feed twice a day.

They nearly all have to live out, due to various wonky bits or individual preference and to keep them stabled is, for them, wrong, which is why we're at a yard where we can dictate what happens.

So angry. Not one of these sanctimonious do-gooders has stopped by the yard to say anything or drop a note off expressing concern. Plus one of the horses is very well known in the area and I'm easy to get hold of.

I blew up at one person. She's not instigated the talk, but she didn't tell me either, as she knows how much effort we put into the horses so knew they'd be ok. We've made up - the tale of her knowledge of it all not being quite as I was told.

I work my bits off to give the horses what they need, as so we all, so to have anything like this is Argh!!!
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Oh mrs M, I really cant do or say much but :(:mad::(:mad::( and (((((hugs)))) xxxx
 
It's all getting a bit silly, isn't it. Only a very few years ago most horses lived out and often without rugs. Suddenly it seems that Joe Public think they have become a fragile species that will either melt or dissolve.

If only they knew the truth that most stabled horses are kept like that either for the owners convenience or as yard policy. Yes, ok, there are some that prefer to be in if the weather is bad, one of mine is like that, but generally they would all prefer to be out. Muddy or otherwise.
 
Can anyone detect a rug?





The way some people today seems to believe that all horses needs to be treated the same way, I can't help but wonder how they believe that a breed like the Icelandic Horse have managed to survive until today?





I hope you get this thing sorted out with the RSPCA as quickly as possible Mrs Mozart.

:D
 
I bet you it's non- horsey people that have reported, clueless!


FinnishLapphund said:
Can anyone detect a rug?





The way some people today seems to believe that all horses needs to be treated the same way, I can't help but wonder how they believe that a breed like the Icelandic Horse have managed to survive until today?





I hope you get this thing sorted out with the RSPCA as quickly as possible Mrs Mozart.

:D
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Mine would prefer this /\ /\ /\ /\ to 80/90 degree summer heat plagued by flies.
 
Probably someone non horsey. A friend's mum when she saw an unrugged horse out with some rugged ones, said in all seriousness that the unrugged one would be jealous of the ones who had coats. I did try to explain that horses didn't think that way, but she wasn't having it, and just said that if I was out in a field, and someone had a coat, then i'd want it. Err maybe, but i'm not a horse!
 
The frost on the coats in the pic above prove how good their coats are, the insulation is amazing to have frost on the top. If they were cold enough to have frost all the way through they would be dead (which they clearly aren't).
You hardly ever see rugs with frost on so rugs just can't be as efficient at the fluffy equivalents, rugs must let enough heat out to melt the frost where as fluff keeps it all in where it's needed - simple science

Unfortunately you have to ignore the ignorant some times and know in your heart you're doing the right thing.
 
Like the dairy farmer who was reported for keeping his cattle in bad conditions. The person who reported him went past the farm in the morning and in the evening and at that time they were all in the collecting yard waiting to be milked, but as that was the only time the passer-by saw them, they thought they were there all the time. Of course, the rest of the time they were in a barn with a comfy place to lie down and ad lib feed. When the farmer investigated and found out who was behind it, he invited them round to look at the place and the person was mortified that they had got it so wrong.
 
Oh lord. I've put my boy out without his neck on today so he can have a good roll in the snow and it's now sleeting. Quick, someone report me! Sorry op, very stressful and unbelievably annoying when people don't speak to you direct. I had to reassure a non-horsey friend yesterday that a group of unrugged
 
I am also shocked that the RSPCA person discussed the situation. Good that your hay chap put him straight.
It's a shame people didn't come to you directly. I had a neighbour approach me to ask if the ponies had enough to eat, this was end of summer and I explained why they were on short 'starvation' grass and she went off happy
 
Not quite the same but we had the RSPCA called to our house as someone reported a dog being beaten and howling in pain for the last 3 months. This was a rescue beagle that we had only had for 4 weeks. The inspector came in and was greeted by one very noisy excited beagle who barked and howled with excitement - and took great delight in showing the inspector all his bones, biscuits and toys that were on the rug. The inspector took one look at the fat wriggling dog and laughed. I asked that he inform the person who reported me that I was grateful for their concern and that he inform them of the true situation.

Yes it was very upsetting that one of my neighbours would report me but in the end I was glad that they were concerned enough to do something about it.

How many times have some on this forum castigated the RSPCA for not investigating.

Mrs M - you have every right to be upset, I know how it feels, but you know and those who know you will be supporting you every step of the way - so just let it glide over you and be proud that you are in the right.
 
Clannad48 said:
Not quite the same but we had the RSPCA called to our house as someone reported a dog being beaten and howling in pain for the last 3 months. This was a rescue beagle that we had only had for 4 weeks. The inspector came in and was greeted by one very noisy excited beagle who barked and howled with excitement - and took great delight in showing the inspector all his bones, biscuits and toys that were on the rug. The inspector took one look at the fat wriggling dog and laughed. I asked that he inform the person who reported me that I was grateful for their concern and that he inform them of the true situation.

Yes it was very upsetting that one of my neighbours would report me but in the end I was glad that they were concerned enough to do something about it.

How many times have some on this forum castigated the RSPCA for not investigating.

Mrs M - you have every right to be upset, I know how it feels, but you know and those who know you will be supporting you every step of the way - so just let it glide over you and be proud that you are in the right.
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Thats true ^^^^^ but nobody wants to be accused of neglect or cruelty,especially if you know your animals are well cared for, its striking the right balance, but id rather people kept reporting as well, rather than miss a real case.
 
I agree it is annoying but if you were out driving and you saw a lame horse in a field of mud would you not be worried? I would, but also wouldn't have the cojones to go and speak to the owner, you never know who you might get beaten up by!
I constantly report horses up the road here that are in mud, with no visible food, just empty hay feeders. They are old and one is lame. The difference betwen those and yours is the ribs on therse ones are all sticking out and they look awful, condition wise.
So why I am saying I would be cross I'm sure the reportee meant well. And fancy the RSPCA inspector talking about it! So unprofessional.
 
RSPCA bloke was on another yard where our hay man was delivering. The talk started and our hay man stuck up for us. I'll call the local branch in the morning and find out what's going on. I get nervous of 'strangers' taking pictures of our neds.

That would be the part that annoyed me most, tbh. How unprofessional of an RSPCA 'inspector' to discuss a case that he is investigating with other locals, I would certainly make a formal complaint about that. From your description of how your horses are kept, I would have thought that even the unitiated, never mind the RSPCA, would be able to tell that they are well cared for and well-fed.

I can understand, though, why passers-by are reluctant to approach the owners of horses they think are neglected. What I can't understand is why they don't do a bit of research before grabbing the phone.
 
I have no problem with the reporting (though I'd rather a heads up to set them straight). What I have a problem with is the way it's then dealt with. In my case I've had them tresspass and cause criminal damage, in Mrs m it was discussed which was completely inappropriate.

And before anyone jumps on me for being annoyed because of being reported. I have reported someone under the guarantee I'd be anonymous and then had the rspca walk the guy I'd reported to my door, saying my story was different to his!

Yes the rspca should investigate, but my god they don't do themselves any favours in how they do it.
Use the front enterance, talk to the person who has been reported and no-one else (not to name), get the facts. I'm sure there are fanstastic inspectors out there but the ones I've met get your backs up very quickly.
 
Polos Mum said:
The frost on the coats in the pic above prove how good their coats are, the insulation is amazing to have frost on the top. If they were cold enough to have frost all the way through they would be dead (which they clearly aren't).
You hardly ever see rugs with frost on so rugs just can't be as efficient at the fluffy equivalents, rugs must let enough heat out to melt the frost where as fluff keeps it all in where it's needed - simple science

Unfortunately you have to ignore the ignorant some times and know in your heart you're doing the right thing.
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I did think about their fabulous insulation, when I came across that photo. :D



;) :eek: And there is also no visible hay in the photo! ...

I could only imagine how bad I would feel if someone reported my dogs and cats as being mistreated, okay it is good that people care, and I do know that they would be wrong, but still... :(
 
I too would be annoyed but I can see how easily it happens: I was showing my mum a video of my mare and her friends hooning round in the snow yesterday and she was horrified one hadn't got a rug on. Now roly is named roly for a reason, she was warm as toast and like those in the above photos had snow on her back. This made mum more alarmed and no amount of explaining would convince her. Some people just can't be helped! Same as she complained the local farmer didn't snow plough the road until 4pm, I pointed out he had has own livestock to care for and ploughing a road with snow still falling is pointless, she disagreed and thought roads should come first!! Argh!
 
My three - out 24/7 but rugged + their two little miniature Shetland friends who come each day but go home at night - are ignoring full haynets and are cruising the concrete track to the road gate where I had put out some mixed corn for the wild birds. I'm just waiting for someone to tell me the horses are starving!
 
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